The present invention relates to acoustic headsets.
The present invention relates in particular to acoustic headsets of the stethoscope type as used, for example, on airplanes for the purpose of enabling travelers to listen to sounds emanating from recordings, movie sound tracks, or the like.
Acoustic headsets of the above type are of course well known. However, these known headsets suffer from serious drawbacks. Thus, with certain types of stethoscope headsets it is conventional to interconnect the elongated opposed arms of the headset with a springy structure which urges these arms toward each other so that when the headset is not used the ear pieces thereof are situated quite close to each other. The individual using such a headset spreads the arms thereof apart from each other in order to place the ear pieces at a distance from each other required to mount the ear pieces at the ears of the individual. Such headsets are of course designed so that relatively small individuals such as children, who require the ear pieces to be situated at a relatively small distance from each other, can use the same headset as an adult with even a relatively large distance between the ears. The result is that for most individuals the ear pieces press against the ears in an undesirable manner, particularly in view of the fact that headsets in airplanes are used for relatively long intervals.
Although there are also known headsets of the above general type which include an adjustable structure by means of which it is possible to adjustably hold the arms at a given distance from each other, these structures are relatively complex and difficult to manipulate, while at the same time being undesirably expensive and adjustable only with considerable inconvenience.